
Member Reviews

I've never read a book by Jane Corry before, but I will be rectifying that soon. I loved her style of writing and can't wait to read more.
I was hooked from beginning to end with this one, and although slower to start it soon picked up the pace.
I loved the three narratives: Poppy Page, her mother in law Betty, and the court scenes. All set up for on fantastic book. Whilst reading mostly from Poppy's point of view we also read about Betty's life that no one knew about.
The book had me thinking a lot, questioning decisions, wondering what I would have said or done had I been put in the same position as Poppy. It shows what consequences can unfold from a bad decision, from one mistake.
I would thoroughly recommend this book. The ending was brilliantly executed and I was still guessing the truth in the final chapters.

This was a good slow burn of a read, which slowly traps you in without you noticing.
Poppy Page is a successful agent supplying extras for TV, film and advertising, having not made it herself as an actress years ago. She is married with 2 teenage daughters and has her mother-in-law living with them who she adores and possibly couldn’t function without. All is good until she bumps into her first love, at a Christmas party. This evokes a desire for something that is missing in her marriage. A week later she finds herself dragging this old flame (Matthew Gordon) back to her hotel bed. Immediately she feels guilty and realises this was a massive mistake, but little does she know, how big a mistake this was. This moment sparks off a chain of events which could ruin her marriage and her business.
The book is written from two narratives, one as Poppy Page, who as a character I did not like at all and found her quite unbelievable, the other is of Betty the lovely mother-in-law. Betty’s story is of her life and seems quite separate to the main story, but it actually connects up well later on in the book. This part of the book is what made it all work for me. There is also a few short chapters which take place in a court room, where you hear that something clearly happens to Matthew and Poppy is being questioned by the prosecution.
At the beginning I wasn’t sure if this was going to work for me, but as you progress the story really develops well and it all comes together really well, with a bit of a twist thrown in to boot. I received my advance copy free of charge in exchange for this honest review. I give this 4/5.

Another brilliant book from Jane Corry. After absolutely loving I Looked Away, I knew I had to get my hands on this one.
Jane is a brilliant writer and never fails to have you gripped from the start. This story is told primarily from two perspectives, first from Poppy an ex actress who now runs her own agency providing extras for films and tv shows. Poppy is married to Stuart and has two daughters. Through her story we hear how she unexpectedly bumps into an old boyfriend, Matthew, at a work event and how this ultimately this leads to her making a big mistake.
The second perspective is from Poppy’s mother in law Betty, who lives with Poppy and Stuart. Her perspective is told in the form of letters to Poppy and details her life from teenage years and we learn of a huge regret from her past. The chapters alternate between the two and occasionally we are given chapters with a narrative from a court room at a murder trial. We are told very early on in the book who was murdered but I won’t say here.
As always, Jane manages to keep you on your toes, building suspense throughout that you can’t help but race through it, but also constantly keeps you guessing. Every time I thought I had it figured out, she would prove me wrong.
Jane brings two elements to this book that are my personal favourite. A multiple character narrative and two timelines (I loved Betty’s chapters, her story alone was interesting). If you’re after a thriller, then I would definitely recommend this book (and I Looked Away as well).
Thank you to Penguin for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I read The Dead Ex by Jane Corry a few years ago and LOVED it. So, when I Made a Mistake came up on NetGalley I was eager to take a closer look!
It follows Poppy Page who is a semi-happily married woman with her own business and two beautiful children. However, behind her successful facade it seems that her life isn’t quite so perfect and her marriage quite so happy. So, when her first love Matthew comes back into her life, Poppy’s head is turned. She makes a mistake and before long that mistake take a much darker turn.
I won’t lie, this one was a slow starter for me. The problem is that I just didn’t warm to Poppy at all. I found her to be incredibly self-absorbed. However, I Made a Mistake is told in three different perspectives: Poppy’s as she is living it, short glimpses in the future at a court case as someone is on trial for Matthew’s murder, and in a letter from Poppy’s mother-in-law Betty which gives Betty’s daughter. These three perspectives provided so much depth to this story and is what kept me turning page after page.
Through the glimpses of the court case you know the dark end that this story has which keeps you wondering how, but what was the real gem of I Made a Mistake is no doubt Betty’s story. At first her abusive marriage and mistakes seems to have no relevance at all to Poppy’ story but over time all the threads weave together. Before I knew it, I was really rooting for Poppy, my early dislike for her melting away as she faces up to her faults and fights for her family.
This is a great summer read which – although it starts a little slow – will draw you in and provide you with a great ending.

Secrets upon secrets.... I always love Jane Corry’s books and this one is no exception.
Poppy, mother of two, haS been married to Stuart for twenty years. The couple are both busy with their own successful careers , and at a time when Poppy is feeling a bit unsure of herself she meets up with her first love Mathew - which she quite quickly realises was a mistake. How big a mistake remains to be seen though...
Poppy is close to her mother in law Betty, who has made a mistake of her own. Betty reveals her mistake in a letter. The two stories combine to make the book a really interesting and enjoyable to read - with twists I definitely never saw coming!
A fast paced read with great characters. I would highly recommend it.
Thanks to Penguin Books, NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

I Made A Mistake was a book I couldn’t put down and raced through.
Poppy and Stuart have been married twenty years, they have two daughters and Stuart’s mum, Betty lives with them helping with childcare and household chores. Poppy meets up with her first love, Matthew and she finds herself in a sticky situation as after he has got what he wanted he then bribes her which leads to her losing everything she values unless she can stop him.
The book is told from Poppy’s viewpoint, snippets of a court case and a letter that Betty has written to Poppy about her early life and what her marriage to her husband was really like and the secrets she holds within.
I loved this book, I couldn’t work out who I liked the best, Poppy or Betty or both equally. The story flowed well, the characters were likeable and relatable. This is one of my top reads for this year and loved how everything unfolded and clicked neatly together.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

An intense and intriguing incident sets the tone for a chilling multigenerational family drama.
Betty is a complex character easy to empathise but still an unreliable protagonist. Her mental health issues impair her judgement and demand a terrible sacrifice. Poppy is low in self-esteem, regretting missed chances and still damaged from her first love.
Riveting and claustrophobic in its intensity this family drama fused with psychological suspense takes ordinary people and considers the fall out of one mistake.
Relatable circumstances and complex characters make this an addictive story.
I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK - Viking Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I was delighted to be invited to take part in the bookstagram tour for @janecorry's latest thriller. It was the perfect weekend read as I sat and enjoyed the sun, rooted to my spot as I *had* to read on and uncover lie after deception after untruth veiled in the story of Poppy and Betty. The novel centres around two women, the mistakes they made but more importantly the extents to which they atone for those errors in order to save the one thing they hold dear: family.
I MADE A MISTAKE is a compulsive read that you will find yourself racing through as you are compelled to get to the bottom of what really happened. Corry is a master of the slow reveal and I think this might be her best yet! ***

Poppy is at a party when she sees her first love. The man who broke her heart. After another chance encounter things get complicated and Poppy is in big trouble. Meanwhile her mother in law is facing up to her own demons and determined to help Poppy in anyway she can.
Im a fan of Jane Corry so knew this would be good and it was. This was an unusual story to start with. It jumps from the past to present and then we have an even later past told by Betty in the form of a letter. It's an interesting premise and executed well. The story throws in some really clever twists that take the reader by surprise. I loved the ending and the fact that things didn't instantly get resolved. Its adds more reality to the story. This deals with a lot of issues but handles them honestly. A really good read.

This book drew me in from the opening page right the way through. The story of two women, mother-in-law Betty and her daughter-in -law Poppy. The latter appears to be the successful woman Betty would love to have been had her marital circumstances been different. Poppy becomes plagued by her past. Both have secrets to keep and also want to protect their families though their times are a generation apart
The book is about what life might throw at you and how people react to those circumstances to protect their families but are they?
The story is cleverly told in the voices of Betty and Poppy with little courtroom interludes

This is the second of Corey's books I've read and I just don't think they are for me. I don't like the writing style which includes all sorts of tit bits about every day life which I don't need to know about and I found that the last quarter of the book was all about trying to fit as many twists and turns no matter how unbelievable in as possible. Thanks very much for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book, it kept me hooked. Poppy Page has a lovely family and a busy life - if she and her husband have grown apart it's just life, parenting and work. Isn't it? Until one night at a work party Poppy runs into Matthew Gordon, her first love, whose betrayal has clearly affected her whole life. The book is written with two distinct stories - Poppy's and her mother in law, Betty's. Betty is writing to Poppy telling her all about her young days, married to a brute of a husband. Early on we learn that there has been a death and a trial - who is accused is not clear until the end. A sad story, but also a hopeful one. The strength of family connections are behind everything. And a real reminder that not so long ago women were held back and subservient to men. I felt for Betty in her younger life with a promising career. A twist at the end that I vaguely saw coming - I saw something but not the detail. This book felt real. It reflected life and relationships with all their problems. #netgalley #imadeamistake

This book is such an addictive read, it will keep you up to the early hours !!
Poppy has been married to Stuart for 20 years and they have two daughters. Both have very successful careers and rely on Betty, Stuart’s mother, that lives with them.
On the surface everything seems perfect but there are cracks in Poppy and Stuart’s relationship, so when Matthew Gordon appears, one mistake changes everything !! Is it possible for one mistake to ruin everything ?
I loved they way this book is written, with Poppy telling the very recent past, Betty telling the story of her past, via a letter to her daughter in law, and a present day court case. The story covers so much including domestic violence, postnatal depression, relationships and so much more. It truly is a great read with some brilliant twists and a great way of bringing the past and present together.
Thank you to Penguin Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I wasn’t sure about this book to start with, I struggled to get into it but persevered. I’m glad I did, really well written and I couldn’t quite see where some of it was going, so it was nice not to be a predictable read. My first by this author and I will be sure to check out her others.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jane Corry for my arc.
I love reading Jane's books so was very happy to be picked to read this one!
This thriller kept me gripped! I loved that the story went from Poppy's story to Betty telling her story through letters to her daughter in law, it seemed to flow and was easy to keep up.
I knew what the twist was going to be before we got there but still did not disappoint! Although the twist at the end I didnt see coming, thought the person was unaware throughout!
It was fast paced and I couldn't put it down! I really connected with all the characters and looked forward to picking the book up again!
Would recommend!

I was very excited to read this book based on it's early reviews but after the first twenty pages I had to double check to make sure I was reading the correct book. The only thing I liked about this book was the prologue, but by the time I got to the climax of the story, I had totally forgotten about the prologue. At over 400 pages, this book was full of unnecessary and irrelevant information and could have easily been reduced to less than 300 pages, possibly 200. Everything in the story was told not shown which resulted in the feeling that I was reading someone's diary. I found the entire plot to be ridiculous and unbelievable and the story was full of shallow characters and relationships lacking chemistry. I wish I could write something positive about this book, but unfortunately this is by far one of the worst books I've ever read.

This book is a layered narrative that explores the psychology of human nature in a dramatic crime read. I love it when a writer presents a puzzle for the reader, and there's certainly a strong hook here. Told via first person narratives you begin to piece the layers and clues together. Compelling and cleverly plotted. A recommended read!

I made a mistake is a thrilling page turner told from the perspective of Poppy, and her mother in law Betty.
Poppy is a successful career woman who runs her own business, and is married to Betty’s son Stuart. . When she meets an ex-boyfriend from 20 years ago, she tries to resist his charm but eventually gives in with disastrous consequences.
Betty’s story begins when she is a young woman in the 1960’s, and describes her marriage to Jock who is a domineering bully. When a tragedy strikes in her life she can never forgive herself, and promises to find a way to repent.
Although the main narrative lies with Poppy, it was Betty's story that I found more interesting and enthralling. The novel cleverly weaves the experiences of the two women together, and includes a few twists among the way. I did find Poppy’s story quite stressful at times but thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I absolutely loved Jane Corry's I Made A Mistake. Poppy Page has it all, a business, a husband & 2 beautiful children. That is until an old flame walks back into her life and turns her world upside down.
The story is told between timelines. One of Poppy and the other of Poppy's mother-in-law Betty, and out of the two I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Betty's character. I wish we all had mother-in-laws like her. I did wonder how the two storylines would intertwine, but they, perfectly.
A brilliantly plotted ending will leave you wondering if you really know someone at all.
Thankyou to Penguin books UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved the different perspectives in this book. Poppy and her mother-in-law Betty are similar in ways they couldn't imagine. Betty's life story is one of courage and determination to keep her family together; she did such a good job that her son Stuart never knew of the difficulties she faced in her marriage. And when Poppy makes a mistake she instantly regrets she finds herself fighting to keep her own family together too. The in-courtroom accounts of Poppy's experience in court add a sinister element with the reader trying to figure out where things went so wrong and exactly what happened and how.
I Made a Mistake is a captivating read with both women's accounts delivering their own satisfying plot. Of course there is a surprising twist and it's a good one. The book is an easy read, well-paced and developed. The writing is good and the characters feel realistic and relatable. All in all, this is a really enjoyable book that I'd definitely recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jane Corry and Penguin Books (UK) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.